| Crash location | 34.112778°N, 90.557222°W
Reported location is a long distance from the NTSB's reported nearest city. This often means that the location has a typo, or is incorrect. |
| Nearest city | Widener, AR
35.023425°N, 90.684831°W 63.3 miles away |
| Tail number | N4478B |
|---|---|
| Accident date | 24 Jun 2003 |
| Aircraft type | Cessna 170B |
| Additional details: | None |
On June 24, 2003, about 1230 central daylight time, a Cessna 170B, N4478B, piloted by a private pilot, sustained substantial damage when it impacted a wire and subsequently the terrain while on approach to a private airstrip near Widener, Arkansas. Visual meteorological conditions prevailed at the time of the accident. The pilot and his passenger reported no injuries. The 14 CFR Part 91 personal flight was not operating on a flight plan. The local flight originated from West Memphis Municipal Airport, West Memphis, Arkansas, at 1200.
The pilot reported he was practicing landing on a private grass strip. The pilot noted he got too low and saw wires in front of the airplane. The pilot stated he "pulled up to try and clear [the] wires, but clipped wires anyway." The pilot reported he attempted to continue landing and stalled the airplane several feet above the ground. The pilot noted the airplane impacted the terrain main landing gear first, and subsequently rolled over.
The wires were not marked for increased visibility.
The pilot reported there were no mechanical malfunctions or failures prior to the in-flight collision with the wires.
The pilot's failure to maintain clearance from the wires and his failure to maintain adequate airspeed, resulting in a stall. A factor contributing to the accident was the unmarked wires.